If you’ve ever questioned whether your doctor really knows what he or she is talking about, these shocking medical practices of years gone by will give you some fodder for your suspicions.
Although they may sound unbelievable, these medically approved remedies were at one time all the rage.
1. Children’s soothing syrups. Used for teething and nursing infants, and also to “cure colic, cramps, dysentery, canker sores and pain,” these syrups were “soothing” because they contained morphine, chloroform, codeine, heroin, opium and cannabis.
2. Mercury. This toxic metal that can cause heart and lung problems, psychotic reactions, delirium, tremors, chest pain and more, was used for centuries to treat everything from cuts to constipation.
3. Heroin. If you had a cough in the late 19th century, a dose of heroin would fix it. This now illegal, extremely addictive drug was originally developed and sold by Bayer … as a cough suppressant.
4. Lobotomies. During the first half of the 20th century, lobotomies were used to destroy the prefrontal cortex of the frontal lobe of your brain. (This is the area of your brain that controls thinking, personality traits and decision-making.) They were used for years to treat everything from schizophrenia to depression, anxiety and moodiness -- until it was discovered that it often caused mental retardation.
5. Hard-core diet remedies. In the 1950s and ‘60s, women took diet pills that were made of amphetamines to lose weight.
Curious about the other five insane medical practices? The link below has the full list.